Thursday, January 29, 2009

I wasn't able to find the site for the longest time, but today I got it to load. Kind of a forgotten site, I've never seen it really mentioned anywhere... This here is one of my favorites from Mobile City:

MOBILE CITYMachine Wilkins

You can ride your hangover out.You can ride your problems into numb little stubs ofThe problems they were and you can sleep Later, if you want toBecause you are tired.You can ride down flag-lined avenues where rays of lightReflect off the high windows of buildingsIlluminating other worlds that we can see sometimesIf only for secondsAnd you can ride through piss-smelling alleysWhose ground is littered with the broken Jewels of the past.Sometimes, since this is a job,It can feel like you are riding through the teeth Of a rich man's dream. The teeth of a rich man who sits in his helicopterMaking calls on his cell phone.A rich man wearing sad elation's coat to the dinnerWhich you delivered.Yesterday can shake her hair and pace her one roomWith a sky of clouds or rainWondering forever what is at stake?This job though, this rideIs less about delivering packages than about searchingFor the Truth of the Moment.And there it is, somewhere out there in the metropolis, Waiting to be polluted and lied to, Abused and sent home. And what do you know, the Truth and the Moment Keep changing, how do you like that?They've created a mobile cityBut we are here to keep it's promise.

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

When I saw the title for this story was "Creating an Urban Backyard" I guess I got confused. When I hear creating an urban backyard, I'm thinking: "Smash some 40s, hide a body, burn a pile of old tires. Maybe some really heavy cholo lettered graffiti" but yeah, some vases and shit would be cool too.

Monday, January 26, 2009

It really shouldn't be that hard to buy a tortilla press. It is a pretty simple device, and certainly I've made it this far in my life without one. However, the Powell's have been doing a lot more cooking from scratch lately, and we decided to buy one. We must've gone to, hmmm, 6 stores before finally finding one about 3 miles from our house...dammit. The entire day we spent trying to get one of those f*ckers. We did find a most excellent mexican market where we bought literally pounds of food stuffs for $19, I got to visit Ikea for the first time, and I ran into my old buddy OG at the New Seasons Market. Last night we rolled into the NW to see Greensky Bluegrass and Blitzen Trapper at the Crystal Ballroom. We danced. The floor bouced. There was rock.

Thursday, January 22, 2009

For issue #1 of Embrocation Cycling Journal, and frankly who isn't, I got a tip for you. They are sold out on the site, but I found a stack at Cascade Cycling yesterday while Olson and I were making the rounds. Yeah, all about cross kids.

Monday, January 12, 2009

After the route on Sunday morn, Jen and I rolled into downtown to finally eat some Voodoo Donuts. Regular readers of Da' Snot Rocket, know of my love for beer and donuts. Let us just say this about Voodoo...they have a donut with bacon on it.No I didn't eat one. Yes the ones we had were mind blowing.

Saturday, January 10, 2009

As I mentioned, Olson and I met Ira Ryan yesterday. Today Jen and I met Lane Kagay from CETMA. He brought the cargo bike up from Eugene for a test ride at Clever Cycles. We both rode it, then we both took a turn riding around with the other person sitting on the cargo deck. Little bit of a learning curve when you realize your muscle memory fails you out of the saddle, but:Holy Shit! I gotta find a way to pay for one....seriously. But back to my point: it is really nice to be meeting these folks that have been motivating da snot rocket for the last couple of years! I feel pretty lucky.

Friday, January 09, 2009

I know I've said it before, but epic isn't a word I use very often. The ride in to the office today however, was epic. It started with the route at 3 am, a little nap, then Jen drove me up to Olsons at around 7. From there he and I headed north by bike to St. Johns to have coffee with Ira Ryan. It was great to finally meet that guy. We rapped for an hour, and since it was supposed to be nice today, he was itching to get a ride in, so we wrapped it up, and started to head to the office. This was about 9 am. As we were leaving the coffee shop, I could see the St. John's bridge (pictured above) peeking between some of the buildings. I have a thing for suspension bridges, probably due to all of the drives across Michigan's Mackinaw bridge.We rolled over to the base of it, and checked it out. Then Olson suggested we ride across, enter Forest Park, ride that south to down town Portland then cross back over on the Burnside Bridge. I was into it.Forest Park is the largest old-growth urban forest in the United States. There are trails running all over it, and you can ride the Leif Ericcson trail from one end to another. I was on the Travellers Check, and it currently has knobby tires so I was confident the ride would go well...right across the bridge, we hit a crazy climb. I'm on flat pedals in jeans and carrying a huge backpack, with no water...It was brutal.Once we got to the park though, I was feeling pretty good. The trail is perfect for a cross bike. Some climbing, some roots/rocks. But mostly it is as fast as you can go! We rocked about 6 miles of the trail, hopped on a sweet road that descended out of the park, and dumped us in Portland's gritty underbelly. Docks, scrap and supply yards. An adult video store called Fat Cobra...real special place.Finally got into the office around noon. All without ever leaving the city!

The second article is from trackosaurusrex, the leading blog on things fixed. It is about Freeman Transport. Excellent words and photos. I've certainly got my eye on those guys...Also on tracko, I saw pictures of Mike Giants bike that 4130 traded for some MG artwork for a headbadge...sweet deal all around.

Me, well EO and I spent the afternoon riding around to shops here in Portland introducing ourselves and seeing what there is out there. You know what, there is a lot.

Monday, January 05, 2009

Joined Facebook. This whole deal is kind of weird, social networking, but I kind of get into it. I like staying in touch with folks. Anyone that has known me for the last 10 years or so can tell you, I tend to "go underground" every once and a while...so this Facebook deal has allowed me to catch up with folks from my past. So that is cool.

Friday, January 02, 2009

In someways little has changed. Like shop-vaccing the water out of the warehouse, ping pong and cheap beer. But most, like location, weather and direction couldn't be more different.We're stoked to be in Portland.That being said, the going isn't easy, but our resolve is being tempered. Been delivering "The Oregonian" daily at 3 am for a week now. When it hasn't been raining, it has been snowing. Most of my life seems like it is being lived after dark. I know it won't always be that way.Things continue to progress with the PDW project as well. You will soon see great things. We're motivated, we have passion, and we are in the right place.

This much I know: Instant Coffee=Disgusting.

I've been keeping an eye on some folks in Europe who are finishing out the Cross season. The EJ has really done a good job of putting you in the action. DO IT!